On December 11th, I spent eight hours traveling to visit a client and was exhausted. I decided to skip this show as the day was long and I was worn out. At 9:15 pm that night, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was going insane! I had to catch Suicidal! I told my wife that I was going and kissed her and the kids goodbye. I headed into St. Paul and quickly texted my good buddy, Eric S. on the way. I was panicking, as I thought that I would miss a part of their set. I asked him in the text when the headliner would start if there were two opening bands and the show began at 8:00. He correctly told me 10:00, so I was in perfect shape for my 25-minute drive into the city.

I made it to Station 4 with 20 or so minutes to spare. This place was packed! The venue was obviously 100s of people past its maximum capacity. I walked through the densely populated crowd and found my way to the stage. I somehow found a spot, one off the rail, near the center.

Eventually, the lights went out and I heard “From Venice Beach, California, Suicidal Tendencies!”

Suicidal came out and immediately started playing an old school thrash show. Within no time, pits were opening up, the crush began, and all hell broke loose! We were all bouncing all over the place and trying to hold our place. By the time that the second song began, I saw several guys standing on the left side of the stage. All of a sudden, one of them ran and flipped right into the crowd. I was like, “No shit! Stage diving!” I haven’t seen this since an Anthrax show back in 1989!

The energy in the place was insane, the crowd was great, and Mike Muir was in full force, along with the rest of his band. The show felt like the shows that I attended back in high school. Stage diving all over the place, a sweet thrash groove, and people having an awesome time! Suicidal Tendencies were better live than I ever imagined possible.

Right before they started their last song, Mike kept pointing to people in the crowd, and said, “Come here!” He asked about 20 people to climb up on stage with the band during their last song. They started “Pledge Your Allegiance” and almost every person on stage started slam dancing and having fun. Somehow, the band kept it together, while being crowded and having people bounce off each of them.

I managed to catch two picks and a set list, which was fortunate, as I was getting bounced around too much to document the songs.

They spoke about putting out a new album in the near future and a tour. When this comes around, everyone should catch it. It was insane!

Suicidal Tendencies set list:

You Can’t Bring Me Down
We Are Family
War Inside My Head
Subliminal
Send Me Your Money
Come Alive
Lovely
Trip At The Brain
Cyco Vision
Possessed To Skate
No Mercy Fool
I Saw Your Mommy…
How Will I Laugh Tomorrow

I Shot Reagan
Fascist Pig
Pledge Your Allegiance

mankvill

12-13-2008 09:34 AM

Fuck yes! This was one of the best concerts I'd ever seen. I'm really glad you decided to go. ;)

JRA

12-13-2008 10:32 AM

For some reason, the idea of Eric being at a Suicidal show amuses me. :D

jeremysaal

12-13-2008 03:02 PM

[QUOTE=mankvill;198449]Fuck yes! This was one of the best concerts I'd ever seen. I'm really glad you decided to go. ;)[/QUOTE]

The show was insane! You and I were able to see something that you usually don't see these days, and that was an old-school thrash show. I wish that they had another date around here. Oh well, the next tour should be here in a year or two.

I looked at your posting for the show that you attended and that was the last thing that I needed to get my tired butt out the door. I'm also glad that you made it, because I might not have if I didn't see your listing. Once I made it to the venue, I felt like I was alive again!

Thanks man!

:rocker:

mankvill

12-13-2008 03:55 PM

Haha! Well, I'm glad my reviews are being read by someone. ;)

es156

12-13-2008 05:20 PM

[QUOTE=JRA;198453]For some reason, the idea of Eric being at a Suicidal show amuses me. :D[/QUOTE]

What are you trying to say? :hmm:

Actually, I wasn't at this show. However, I have seen them twice back in the early 90's as an opening band.

jeremysaal

12-14-2008 09:17 AM

[QUOTE=JRA;198453]For some reason, the idea of Eric being at a Suicidal show amuses me. :D[/QUOTE]

I wish that Eric was there. He is an animal at these shows! He always finds a way to the rail! Hopefully, we will be able to catch Metallica in Chicago or another good show soon.

:horns:

TonyD

12-14-2008 10:29 PM

Nice, I'm glad the word is out on Suicidal again.

es156

12-15-2008 09:25 AM

[QUOTE=jeremysaal;198568]I wish that Eric was there. He is an animal at these shows! He always finds a way to the rail! Hopefully, we will be able to catch Metallica in Chicago or another good show soon.

:horns:[/QUOTE]

Ha ha, I wouldn't say that. But we do alright for a couple of old guys. We should definitely catch Metallica in Chicago.